How goes the madness, Wipsters? Here we are on the other side of the halfway mark, and I've had another epiphany. My current WIP is much more character-centered than my last ms, but as a graphic novel, the action needs to be solid and clear and dynamic. No, it doesn't have to be like a superhero comic or anything, with a POW! KABOOM! kind of action, but there is less room for long, introspective passages. While the plot bunnies were biting my butt last week, my brain was trying to get a firmer grasp of my plot, and it just kept coming back to the 5-act structure of a Shakespearean play.

Of course, much of what we see in the visual media of television and movies seems to rely on a 3-act structure (which is why much of it sucks), so I was struggling. Which way do I approach this? My gut said go with the 5-act structure, but it didn't offer any details or confirmation that I was right. So, I googled it.

Holy cow! I found several conversations about plot structure, but very few about the 5-act structure. Mostly it was the same little mountain graphic we all learned in grade school about conflict and rising action, yada yada yada.  Until I hit a certain foul-mouthed but ingenious HULK. As I read his rant about the Myth of the 3-Act Structure, bells were going off everywhere. Yes! Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking but couldn't put into words! He is talking about movies, but the same principle holds for any good story telling really.

After taking notes and creating a fabulous chart for myself (because visuals/storyboards rock!), I decided to relieve myself of the burden of finishing one or two chapters this month and focus on getting the structure more concrete so I can actually complete the journey with a clear path in mind.


So have any of you made a sharp turn on your goals this month thanks to an epiphany? If you have, dance in the magic of it. Even if it turns out to be the wrong direction later, it will lead you somewhere. And somewhere can show you amazing things that nowhere can't.

So onward we go, Wipsters! May the plot bunnies be kind to you, and may you all have a good dog to herd them in the right direction!

We'll see you at the check-in tomorrow with Carol Garvin.

Add a Comment